The Trans Fat Free Philippines Bills consisting of Senate Bills No. 1916 and 1954, and House Bills No. 7200, 7202, 7934, 8093, and 8128, will ban artificial TFA, most commonly found in food items with partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) such as prepackaged food, baked goods, and fried street and restaurant food.
DOH Health Promotion Bureau Director Dr. Beverly Ho in a statement said a 2018 study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute found that children below six years old are at most risk for high TFA consumption. With this, we see that TFA does not only have negative effects on adults but also on the youth.
"The DOH believes that these Bills, once enacted, would greatly contribute to our efforts in creating healthy food environments in our schools and communities,” Ho said.
According to WHO, TFA is an artificial compound that clogs the arteries and increases the risks of CVDs like heart attacks. CVD is the leading cause of death in the Philippines, claiming around 50,000 Filipino lives every year, and a known comorbidity of COVID-19.
For her part, ImagineLaw Executive Director lawyer Sophia San Luis said, as Filipinos grapple with the effects of the ongoing pandemic, legislators must act with urgency to promote citizens’ heart health and strengthen their resilience against COVID-19.
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"This Valentine’s Day, we call on the legislators to promote Filipinos’ right to heart health and safe and nutritious food, starting with the urgent enactment of this Bill,” she said.
Once enacted into law, it will completely eliminate the toxic fat from the nation’s food supply by prohibiting PHOs, oils, and fats with high TFA content. As such, it will make all types of food sources, including those from informal markets and food establishments, safe and TFA-free.
Civil society groups such as the Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines (NFP), Nutritionist Dietitians Association of the Philippines (NDAP), Philippine Society of Nutritionist-Dietitians (PSND), and Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP) also supported the call for trans fat elimination in the country.
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